Cooker and cooler



May 26, 1925.

1,539,458 S. L. BERRY COOKER AND COOLER Filed March 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w/ TIE/E8655. ,wvm /a/roa Ampead m W/ May 26, 1925. I S. L. BERRY cooxsa AND COOLER Filed March 9. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //Vl/E/V.TOR.-

Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES v 1,539,458 PATENT OFFICE.

SENECA LUCIEN BERRY, 0F SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ANDERSON-BARNGROVER MFG. 00.. OF SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA, A COR- PORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

COOKER AND COO'LER.

Application filed March 9, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SENECA LUCIE'N BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sunnyvale, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and ,useful Improvements in Cookers and Coolers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of cooking apparatus in which sealed cans, containing the material to be processed, are passed continuously into, through and out of a tank in which heat is either applied by steam or hot water or extracted by means, usually, of Water.

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism simpler in construction, steadier in operation and more accessible for inspection and cleaning than has been accomplished heretofore.

The mechanism by means of which these and other objects are attained is fully described hereinafter and shown in the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1, is a cross section in elevation'on the lines ab, Fig. 2 and cd, Fig. 3.

Fig. 2,. an end elevation, with the end plate or door removed, of the feed end of the cooker, with the feed mechanism cross sectioned on the line e-f, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, a cross section of the discharge mechanism on the line g-h, Fig. 1.

The mechanism described belongs to that class known as pressure cookers since means are provided to prevent undue escape of steam from the tank containing steam under pressure greater than atmospheric. Such a machine may be operated under any pressure desired, including atmospheric and less, and is thus adaptable to the processing of all food products.

The valve shown herein has been fully described in my application for patent for valves for pressure cookers, Serial No. 381,814, filed May 17, 1920, wherein the driving means shown were exterior to the tank, while in the mechanism herein shown such means are within the tank.

Means for introducing water 01' steam and apparatus for controlling the temperature or amount of steam or water are not shown as "such arein common use.

In the drawings, 1 is the shell of the tank, within which is secured the spirally Wound Serial No. 542,381.

known as the reel, which, by its revolution, carries the cans along the spiral path from the feed mechanism 12 tothe discharge mechanism 13. The construction of this reel has been described in my co-pend- 111g application for patent for reels for rigglgers, Serial N 0. 534,604, filed Feb. 6,

The feed mechanism 12 consists of the valve housing 14, having an inlet opening 15 and communicating with the interior of the tank, the rotatable pocketed can carrying valve 16, shaft 17 and packing means 18-18.

For successful operation it is necessary that the pockets 19 in the valve 16 register with the spaces 20 in the reel and that this registration be maintained under all conditions of load and varying frictional resistances. To obtain this condition I have secured to the valve 16, a gear 21, and to the end head 4 a gear 22 coacting therewith. This arrangement secures the closest cooperation between the valve pockets 19 and the reel spaces 20 and gives assurance that it will remain so permanently. In Fig. 2, the gear 21 is shown by dotted lines to prevent obscuring other pants and ofthe gear 22 a. short section only is shown for the same reason. The cans drop by gravity from.

the pockets 19 to the reel spaces 20.

the valve housing 26, communicating with the-interior of the tank and provided with v "very necessary that the correct registration of the reel pockets 20 with the valve pockets "31 be maintained. This I have secured by the gears 35-35 fastened respectively to the valve 28 and 'reel head 5, and which,'coacting the one with the other, cause the valve 28 to be responsive to the movement of the reel at the head 5.

To render the mechanism readily accessible for inspection and cleaning I have provided enddoors 36-37, supported by hinges 38 and held steam tightfwheu closed, by clamps 39. yThemost active cause of deterioration in cookers of this type is the rusting of iron found in a closed vessel filled, at times, with hot waterorsteam and which remains closed when not in use. There being no opportunity for drying outthe interior,

a supporting bearing mounted in the chamber adjacent each end, a cylindrical conveyor rotatably carried by and between the supporting bearings and operable Within the chamber, a valve operable in one of the housings for feeding cans "to the conveyor, a valve operable in the other housing for receiving cans from the conveyor, a gear secured to each otthe valves and confined within the housings, a gear secured to each endof the cylindrical conveyor within the chamber, said last mentioned gears meshing with the valve gears, and doors connected to the ends of the chamber, said doors entirely confining the supporting bearings, conveyor and gears secured to the conveyor within the chamber,

- SENECA LUCIEN BERRY.

lVitnesses:

IDA TnUBsoHENoK, ANNA BERRY. 

